Vehicle



Sept. 21 1926.

L. DE l.. cAMMANN VEHICLE Filed Peb. 5. 1924 2 sheds-sheet 1 www INVENTOR 1 ou/s DE L. CHM/MANN BYl ATTORNEYS sept. 21 ,1926.

L. DE L. CAMMANN VEHICLE Filed Feb. 5. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheetl 2 A TTOHNE YS Patented Sept. i Z1, 19E-l Louis 15E L. CAMMANN, or NYACK, NEW Yoan.

VEHICLE. 1

Application -led February V, Y1924. Serial o. 690,693.

This invention relates to vehicles, and-particularly to the regulation of headlights of Vthe same. In night-driving of motor vehicles itis necessary to use strong headlights 5 in order to fully illuminate the roadway in y'front of the vehicle, but to prevent the blinding, by glare, of the driver of a vehicle appreaching in the opposite direction it has been necessary to dim or shut olf the strong lightsLand this rendered further procedure exceedingly dangerous upon a narrow roadway, especially where passing other vehicles. In myco-pending application, Serial No. 686,954, filed January 18th, 1924, I have illustrated and claimed 'a construction by which the headlights may be tilted to direct the light downwardly to illuminate the roadway immediately in front of the vehicle and to thus prevent blinding byglare, of the driver of a vehicle approaching. from the opposite direction. The present invention Y is in the nature of an improvement upon the construction set' forth in said Cao-pending application. o

The object of the invention is to provide an improved structurev by which the headlights may be tilted to direct the light downwardly to vvarious extents, which will be exceptionally simplein construction and op-V eration, readily applied to existing types of motor vehicles without material changes` in their design or construction, and which will he durable, reliable and relatively inexpensive. Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment yof the 1nvention, and the novel features will be particuvlarly pointed out hereinafter in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

4o Fig. 1 is an elevation, partially in' section,

of aV portion of a vehicle constructed in ac cordance with the invention Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a frontend elevati on; of the same; Fig, i is a front end elevation, on a larger Fig. 5 is a section through the support taken substantially along the 'line 5,-5 of Figli; V- f i Fig. 6 iS ,2.1 ,Sect-i911 -tllllflllgh a portion of the .the bottom of each ofthe lights and passing scale, of a portion of the headlight support;V

vehicle Ataken substantially along the line 6-6'of Fig. 1; f y Figf'? is a side elevation, partially in section, of a-motor vehicle constructed inl accordance with the invention and illustrating a different embodiment thereof; and. `F ig. 8 is a section through a portionof the radiator where` the operating l cables pass through.` rf Referring particularlyito the embodiment ofthe inventionillustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, a pair of'braclets l are secured to the opposite fenders 2, which extend'from the chassis frame 3 over` the front-wheels 4 of the vvehicle. The brackets 1 may 'be securedt-o the fenders in anyV suitable manner such as yby Y bolts or rivets 5, and each bracket has a threaded end 6 threaded into one endof av short bearing sleeve 7. f y n p A baseI or support 8'is provided a't oneend 70 with atrunnifon 9 which is rotatably mounti ed in the free end of the sleeveV 7, and opposite from the trunnion 9, 'each base 8 is provided with a split, clamplO which may be tightened by a bolt 11. A rod 12'extends'be; tween the bases. or supports8 and into the split clampl 10 of each, so that whenthe bolts 11 are tightened the basesor supports.' 8 at' opposite-sides of the vehicle will be. Y rigidly connected together and both rotatable together about the axis of the trunnions 9. The touring headlights 1,3 are "secured upon the bases or supports 8 in any suitable manner, such asby a bolt 14extending froml A through an aperture in the base or support, with a nut threaded upon the downwardly projecting endy of each bolt and concealed within av recess inthe under face of the base or support. 1 90` A clampl comprises two sections 17 and 18 which-may be brought togetherabouty the V rod 12 and gripped thereto byvbolts 19 which pass through sections 17 and 18, so that when the bolts are tightened the clamp will 95,r I i be rigidly connected toV the rod 12 foroscil! lation therewith. One'ofthe sections181is preferably longer .than ythe, vother section,k

and is provided-infitsiendswithapertures 20, through which flexible cablesg21 and 22 100 manner. AThe cla position.

manner such as by and secured in any suitable no 16 is attached to the rod l2 Vin a position to extend substantially horizontal, front and rear, at one side ot' in be passed yhe radiator 2?) 'ot the vehicle, when theA g chore'dat 29 toany suitable part ot the velii l ha one side of the upper end or leverBO', which are adapted to co-act With a latch 'plate so as; to overlie slightly,v theV Ialpert'ure cle. rIhel cable 252, a'ttcrpassing over the pulley 25, passesbeneath the vehicle and con-V nests to the lower end 'of pedal or lever 30 which is' pivoted at 3l toa bracket 32, carried by the Hoor boards oi the vehicle. `The lcv r has a ,crool'e'd`re1id extending` up- YWart ly through anfaperture 34 in the floorv boardsand terminates at its upper end-'in a tread or operating part Theengage- Vment of the lever with the door board' WillV limit its yupward movement as shown in Y lVhen the pedal or `lever is operated, pressing' downwardly upon the upper end `35 of the same, the cable 22 Will'bepulled and Will tilt or rock the support torwardly and thus rock the lights 13 forwardly and direct the light' vtheretrom upon the road-` way immediately inA front 'of the yehicle.`

.During this movement of the lights,Y 'the lcable Qlfiwil'l be pulled. in a direction .to tension thefspringj. vlhen the lever 30 is released, the spring` 28 will, by its pull uponV the cable 2l, vtiltthe-suppoitvbaclriwuidly and Y lift the lights 13 to their normal runniuo' po:

sitio-n, lwhich ivillvbe determinedV by theV contactl off-the lever 30 with .the floor boards. Obviously any suitable stop may be' provided for limiting this reverse movement of the lightsvby the` spring 2S, and t-liislimitingr' stop may of course be adjustable it desired. The cab'le 22 has Ypreferably included therein a'turnbuclle 36, so that Yits eiiective length may be VvarietLfand through its Vadjustment, theV .normal or upper position 'ot the lights vmay be determined.

Ratchet Ateeth y37 may be 'provided Eupen 33 Vof the Ypedal Vcarried by fthe 4floor boards through which the Apedal or lever passes, and located upon the side oft the'rfatchet teeth. Y T hfe pedal: yor lever Y `isfs'o mounted uponfits pivot 31 fais to be ca;Y

lszuy to shift the lever l in a direction to carry itsfr'atchet Ateeth outV the leveren pedal Leo-e717 pable of a slight lateral movement as Well as a rotary movement. Y y

A cable 39 is connected to the lower end oi" the pedal or lever 30 and is in turn connected Vto a tension spring 40. rl`he other end of spring` l0 is anchored by/a cable ll. I'

to any suitable 4anchorage 4t2 upon the vehicle, so that the cables 39' and il will elo' tend from the pedal or lever 38 at an acute angle to the plan :ot rotation 'of the pedal Y 0r lever. The spring( 40, Which -will, be constant-ly under tension, will, by reason or' its biased connection tothe pedal or lever, rocli it laterally and cause itsV ratchet teeth to snap successivelybehind the latch plate 38 wheny the lever `or pedal is depressed. The engagement ol the ratchet teeth with thelatch platev sci/ves toliold the pedalv or lever in its various depressed positions.r

To 'allow the pedal or lever to return to its normal upper position and cause an ele- Jationot the headlights, it is merely neces'- or pedal vlatera'lly ot engagement yWith the latch plate, Whereupon the'v springs 2,8 and l@ will return it to its upper position. The spring; il@ thus assists the spring" 28k in returning `the parts to theirnormal position. Y lt necessary, one

or more idler pulleys may be placed'between the-iliiulley fljand the pedal in order to guide the cable 22 around Various' parts ot the engine mechanism.V

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs, 7 and 8, the'clainp 16 is disposed vertically upon the rod l2 when the lights Yhave their'norma'l running position, and theY cable 22a, corresponding tothe cable 22 oil' .the 'preceding embodiment ot the invention, may be arranged Jfior operzugion troni the dashboard of the vehicle, instead ot by ai too-t pedal. The dash board is provided withl anaperture lil in'V which an operating; niemeer lo is adapted to reci i recate.

by, .vliiclr it may be manipulated, and its Vinner endv is connected'to-on'e end ofthe cable Qfso that when"the'roperating Vmember is pulled ,downwardly through the dash board`r the lcable '22a will be piilled tofrock the light support ina direct-ion to directthev rays from vThe operatingmember l5 provided at its outer endwitli a handle 46 no Y the Vlights downwardly immediately' in front ot the vehicle. Y

latch plate 41;? is provided jupon the dashboard in a position yto ov'erliethe louer edge of the slot els., and is adapted `to coop erate with ratchet teeth prov lower edgel ol'- 'thel operating member' 45,.'

rlhe Vratchet teeth `cooperate"with the latch" plate to' hold the'operatiig meniberin 'the outer position, to-"i-vrhicli rt 'may be adjusted,

kuntil the. operating -ineinber is lifted-to dis. engage it `from lthe latchY plate,

led inthe spring 48 supported up'on the dash 'board' in any suitable manner extends into they slot 44 and-presses downward-ly upon the upper edge of the operating member and yieldingly holds it in engagement with the latch plate47. The cab-le 22a may have included therein a turnbuckle 3oa so that the effective length of the cable may be varied to vary the normal position of the lights. The cable Qll corresponds t0 the cable 2l in the embodiment previously described. lt is connected 'to one end of a tension spring 28a which at its other end is anchored at 29a to a suitable part of the vehicle. n

When the operating member is pulled outwardly through the dash board it will act through the cable 22a and the clamp 16 to tilt the headlights forwardly and downwardly, Vand concentrate the light on the roadway immediately preceding the vehicle, and during this movement the spring 28a, which is normally under sonie tension will be further tensioned. he spring 48 will hold the operating member in latcliing engagement with the latch plate, and the operating member 45 will remain in wh-ateverposition it is placed when vpulled outwardly.

To return the lights to normal positionl it is merely necessary to shift the handle 46 of the operating member upwardly,

which lifts the operating member against the action of the spring 48, to disengage it from the latch plate, whereupon thespring 28a will tilt the lights upwardly to their normal position and retract the operating member through the dash. The operating member, at its forward end, is provided` V.vitli a depending flange 49 which is adapted to abut against the latch plate 47 and limit inward movement of the operating member, and thus limit the upward movement ofthe lights'under the action of the spring 28a.

Many radiators have passages extending directly through them Vfrom front to rear, and the cables 21a and 22a, may be passed through these passages and along under the hood. j If necessary suitable guide pulleys 50 and 5l may be placed in various parts of the vehicle for guiding the flexible cables around the various parts of the machine under the hood. In order to prevent injury to the radiator by the'wear of the cables thereon, I preferably insert hardened bushings 52 (Fig. 8) in the passages of the radiator, and the cables pass through the bushings so that the latter will take the wear of the cables. y

In nighttime operation of a vehicle having the lights controlled in accordance with this invention, when the vehicle is approachinganothei vehicle comingfrom the oppovsite direction, the driver may depress the Vpedal or lever 20, ifthe construction ,is as shown in Figsd to 6, or pull downwardly .upon the handle 46,.ilf the'construction is".

as shown in Figs.- 'Tand 8, and'tliis action will cause a' forward rocking of' the headlights so as 'tov concentratek `the* light, there-1 from upon the road immediately in front of this vehicle,andpi'event it from blinding operator of the 'approaching vehicleY yminated roadway immediately'in front, in

order to be able to proceed withoutdanger.

lVlien the leveror'foot pedalBO is depressed to various extents the lights will bev Y tipped proportionally to the extent of the depression, and the spring 4() will shift the lever laterally so as to cause the ratchetV teeth to become engaged successively with the latch plate 38. This latching engagement will serve to Vhold the lever in its different ldepressed conditions. To release the lever it is merely necessary to shift it laterally against the'action of the spring 40, and thereupon the springs 40 and 28 will return the lever to its normal position. This return is effected as soon as the 'passing of the vehicle has taken place. TheY lever 30- while shown as a foot pedal may obviously be positioned so as to be accessible for manipulation by one ofthe 'drivers hands instead of by his foot.

In connection with the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the lights are returned to their normal running position by merely lifting' the handle46 and holding it elevated while the-spring 28a returns the lights to their upper position.

in the details, location `and arrangements of parts, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the'y nature of the invention, may be made by thosey skilled in the 'artwithin-the principle and scope Vvof the invention as expressed in the appended claim.V f

l claim: n TheA combination ing front fenders and a floor board; brack-" ets on said fenders having opposed and alined sockets, av pair of lamps having standards, short shafts each projecting from a standard into a respective socket, along shaft alined withthe short shafts and connecting` said standards, a double arme-dlever fixed tosaid long shaft, a bracket carried by the front-of the automobile below ,sa-id lever and alined therewith, a pair of Vspring connecting oneof the strands to the anchor member, a bracket lfixed to said floor board, apedal lever pivoted intermediate los with an automobile havits ends 'tor' thev bracket and extending Vthrfou'ftgh the floor board, the remaining strand being secu-redto the lower end Vo' the leverand being provided with a turn 5 buckle intermediate its ends, a second anchor secured' to Juhe automobile forward of they lever, and a, connectionv including e spring and. having fastened to the Second anchor.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my slgnature.

LOUIS im L, oA

MivrANN. 

